5G driverless microbus begins trial operations in China

28 November 2019 IHS Markit Automotive Expert

A domestic-made 5G driverless microbus began its trial operation in Hangzhou (China), reports China Daily. The 5G driverless microbus uses Level 4 technology, which involves no driver intervention. It has 30 smart sensors which include eight cameras, four LiDARs, and two milimetre-wave (MMW) radars. The microbus can identify obstacles like pedestrians and motor vehicles from a distance of 200 metres, and can identify all directions using the road cloud collaborative intelligent system.

Significance: The Chinese government is strongly supporting autonomous and connected vehicle technology as it begins to fast-track the sector in the country. The overall aim is for China to showcase to the world that it is a leading player in new technology, with a focus on electric and autonomous vehicles. Baidu is testing its Level 4 autonomous electric bus, the Apolong, and FAW's Hongqi brand displayed an autonomous minibus featuring Level 4 autopilot and 5G communication technology in Hangzhou. In June, bus manufacturer Yutong deployed four electric autonomous buses in Zhengzhou as part of the trial project on "Intelligent Island". In October 2019, BroadXT announced a showcase of its 5G-based autonomous minibus at the World Internet Conference that was held on 20-22 October in Chinese city of Wuzhen.